3 syllables: Ac, ces, sions. Stress on ces.
ak-SESH-uhnz
/ækˈsɛʃənz/
Accessions is pronounced ak-SESH-uhnz (/ækˈsɛʃənz/). It has three syllables (Ac-ces-sions), with the stress on "ces". Accessions (noun) refer to the process of gaining entry or addition, or to new arrivals or entrants into a group, organization, or category. In plural form, it can denote multiple additions or entries over time. Used in formal or institutional contexts to describe individuals who join or are admitted to a body or collection.
nounAccessions (noun) refer to the process of gaining entry or addition, or to new arrivals or entrants into a group, organization, or category. In plural form, it can denote multiple additions or entries over time. Used in formal or institutional contexts to describe individuals who join or are admitted to a body or collection.
"The university announced the accessions of several new researchers this year."
"Historical accessions to the royal archives increased after the treaty was signed."
"The museum’s latest accessions include rare manuscripts and ancient artifacts."
Accessions is stressed on the first syllable: /ˈæk.sɛʃ.ənz/. Start with a short, crisp 'a' as in cat, then a clear 'e' as in 'dress', followed by the 'sh' sound /ʃ/ and a light final /ənz/. Ensure the final syllable is voiced and not reduced. You’ll want a quick but precise first syllable, then a softer, unstressed middle, and a plural /-z/ at the end.
Common errors: misplacing stress (saying ac-CE-sions), turning /æ/ into /eɪ/ or wrong syllable emphasis; dropping the /s/ or mispronouncing /ʃ/ as /s/; trailing off the final /z/ or making /ən/ too syllabic. Correction tips: keep stress on the first syllable /ˈæk/ and maintain a crisp /sɛ/ before the /ʃ/; ensure the /ʃ/ is clearly voiced and not replaced by /s/; finish with a light, voiced /z/ rather than /s/ or a clipped /z/.
In US English, /ˈæk.sɛʃ.ənz/ with a strongly articulated /s/ prior to /eɪ/? No, maintain /sɛ/ cluster and clear /ʃ/. In UK English, you may hear a slightly more clipped /ˈæ.kˌseɪ.ʃənz/ with less vowel reduction in unstressed syllables and a flatter /æ/ vs /æ/ in US; in Australian, expect a broader broad /æ/ in the first vowel and a non-rhotic tendency that can affect vowel quality slightly in connected speech. Overall, the rhotic influence is minimal here, and the main variation is vowel quality and syllable stress smoothness.
Two main challenges: the middle /ˈsɛ.ʃ/ cluster and the plural /-ənz/ ending. The /ʃ/ requires a precise palatal-alveolar articulation that can blur with /ʃən/ if spoken too quickly. The final /z/ must be voiced after a stressed syllable, which can be mispronounced as /s/ or devoiced in rapid speech. Practice by isolating the /sɛʃ/ sequence and maintaining crisp /z/ voicing at the end.
Does 'Accessions' ever feature a silent letter scenario? No—every letter participates in pronunciation, and the ending is never silent. The primary nuance is ensuring you don’t reduce the middle syllable too much, preserving /ˈæk.sɛʃ.ənz/ as a three-part rhythm with a distinct /ʃ/ and a voiced final /z/.
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Accessions derives from the Latin accessio, meaning an increase or approach, from the verb accedere, meaning to approach or go toward. In English, accessio entered medieval legal and fiscal language to denote an increase in property or rights and, by extension, entry or admission. The plural form accessions appears in the 16th–17th centuries as a general term for additions or entrants to a body, collection, or list. The word maintained a formal, bureaucratic flavor and expanded into organizational contexts (admissions, additions to records, accessioning in libraries and museums). The core semantic shift is from “an approaching or joining” to “an added item or person.” The word’s pronunciation has remained stable despite the evolving contexts, with plural marker -s adopted as standard for multiple instances. In modern usage, accessions is common in institutional reporting, archival catalogs, and membership rosters, preserving its sense of formal addition and inclusion rather than influence or power transitions.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Accessions" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Accessions"
-ons sounds
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